Israel is interested in developing natural gas alternatives in the eastern Mediterranean. The problem is that it is in contested waters claimed by not only Israel, but the Palestinian Authority, the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey.

Oligarchs are the wealthy few who benefit from the government and for all intents and purposes call the shots behind the scenes. Oilprice.com considers five key oligarchs and oligarch families who will shape the future.

The Venezuelan president pledged to invest $130 billion in Venezuela's Orinoco Oil Belt between 2013 and 2019 to boost national production from 3 million barrels per day to 6 million bpd, doubling output to make it OPEC’s second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, knocking Iran into third place.